The last day of April 2013 was a historical date in the Netherlands. Following his mother’s abdication, Prince Willem-Alexander’s swearing-in as the new king means the country once again has a male monarch for the first time in 123 years. As a result, the program for the festivities on this Queen’s Day in Amsterdam was particularly comprehensive. However, this also posed a large challenge for Amsterdam’s police force, who had to monitor the large crowds expected around the castle on the Dam, as well as alongside the route of the celebrations. Another task, of course, was to shield the royal couple and the visitors from any attack. These concerns were justified not only because of the scale of the event, but also because of tragic incidents that occurred on Queen’s Day in the past.
For these reasons, Amsterdam’s police looked for a partner who was able to support them in terms of video surveillance as well as monitoring the streams of visitors. They decided on the Dutch company, Connection Systems, which specializes in the video surveillance of large-scale events and freely moving crowds. Connection Systems was founded in 2000 and has been utilising Bosch Security Systems solutions from the very beginning.
In order to reinforce the police’s own monitoring network, 75 additional Bosch AutoDome cameras were installed in Amsterdam. These were integrated within the existing security network, and positioned six metres above ground level. In addition, the cameras were connected to 35 UPS boxes that would have maintained operations in the event of a power blackout. The installation of the surveillance system took three weeks and was ready in time for all the rehearsals necessary prior to April 30. This was to ensure that all likely risks during the event were covered, and that the police would always be in full control of the situation.
Connection Systems decided to use Bosch cameras for two major reasons: their robust construction makes them easy to mount and dismount, and the permanent availability of Bosch’s technical support service. Frank Wagemans, Director at Connection Systems, pointed out after the ceremonies that not one event had failed in the company’s history when using this camera solution. Thus, everyone involved in the investiture on April 30 will remember the event as having been run perfectly.
For more information on Bosch AutoDome products, visit www.boschsecurity.us.

Dojang seeks visual feedback system for students Master Seung’s Taekwondo teaches the martial art to a wide range of students – from children under the age of seven to older students who participate in competitions, even partaking in the Junior World games. The dojang sought a way to better analyse the skills of students and to provide visual feedback that would help them understand and improve their performance.
Problem: Dojang looks to enhance coaching tools
Dojang coaches understand the importance of visual feedback when instructing students in the art of Taekwondo
Video cameras would require adjustable shutter speeds to clearly capture fast motion of students in action
Software must enable easy viewing and annotation of student actions
Solution: Bosch FlexiDome IP and AutoDome Junior HD Cameras with Dartfish TV and TeamPro Software
Progressive scan technology keeps images sharp and prevents motion blur
IP cameras offer automatic or selectable shutter speeds to accommodate a range of scene settings
HD PTZ camera enables coaches to zoom in to any part of a scene to examine specific details without losing clarity
Video is easily exported to Dartfish TV and TeamPro software for annotation, analysis and effortless sharing with students
Results: effective coaching method helps improve performance
IP and HD cameras with Dartfish TV and TeamPro software enable dojang coaches to capture live video of sparring or pattern exercises and provide direct, visual feedback to students
Video support of verbal direction helps to improve students’ skills
Solution enhances the student experience and helps to set the dojang apart from other local facilities

Bosch AutoDome and EnviroDome pan-tilt-zoom cameras are installed throughout the city
Lancaster Community Safety Coalition
The Lancaster Community Safety Coalition is a non-profit organisation formed to prevent crime in the nation's oldest inland city - Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The organization's mission is to enhance public safety and the quality of life in Lancaster by engaging the community and advancing current crime prevention strategies. The Coalition uses a three-pronged approach - environmental design, community mobilization and technology - to aid police in protecting the city.
Business objective:
The Coalition looked to spearhead the installation of a surveillance system to monitor public spaces. When the city planned to upgrade its traffic signal communications from copper to fibre optics, the Coalition worked with city engineers to ensure the fibre optic network could also support a video system. In addition to the infrastructure, the Coalition required reliable cameras that could withstand various weather conditions and vandalism while delivering excellent image quality.
Solution:
Now, Bosch AutoDome and EnviroDome pan-tilt-zoom cameras are spread throughout the city, streaming video over more than 100 miles of fiber optic strands to the Coalition's monitoring center.
Coalition employees - civilians hired for their knowledge of the city and their commitment to its safety and growth - monitor live video from the cameras 16 hours per day. Using a Bosch Allegiant Control System and an IntuiKey keyboard that controls the PTZ cameras, employees can switch between video streams from each of the cameras and hone in on suspicious activities or crimes in progress up to three or four blocks away.
Live monitoring is considered by Coalition executives to be an important strength over systems in other cities around the world. Video is monitored during peak times of police and criminal activity, and the Coalition will increase the hours monitored when extra vigilance is required, such as during large or high profile events scheduled in the city.
The Coalition's monitoring facility has a direct line to the city's center for 911 calls for times when police need to be immediately dispatched to an area. Coalition employees can even send live video to flat-screen monitors in the emergency center to help the dispatchers communicate more effectively with officers patrolling the streets or arriving on a scene. Video is recorded on Bosch digital video recorders.
Result:
The video helps aid police during investigations. In a recent incident, officers used surveillance camera video to find and arrest a suspect soon after a shooting occurred. This same feat took 1,600 hours in a previous case that was similar in nature.
The system and the overall work of the Coalition have also helped to revitalize the city of Lancaster.
"There is a link between crime reduction and growth," said Joseph Morales, COO of the Coalition. "Our citizens no longer perceive downtown as a high crime area, which has helped bring more people into the city from suburban areas."